Love Cherry
by vsdefender
Summary: In a far flung future the marionette finds that there is always a reason for living.
1. Marionette with the Blue Eyes

Love Cherry  
  
Chapter One: Marionette with the Blue Eyes  
From the moment he saw her he knew that there was something special about her. Even if she was just an ancient machine that spent her time collecting dust at the curio shop when she wasn't being put to work.  
  
He wasn't sure why he went into the shop in the first place. There wasn't anything he really had in mind that he wanted to buy. Perhaps another clock for the kitchen, the green plastic thing currently hanging on the wall over the refridgerator was due for a replacement. And being that he thought that something with a bit more elegance would be a good idea the curio shop seemed a logical place to look.  
  
Which was why Stephas Marzette found himself inside a curio shop in downtown San Plazo, New Texas.   
  
***  
  
The door jingled as it swept open, admitting Stephas Marzette who was just another potential customer as far as the shop owner was concerned. The shopkeeper looked up from his book to give him a once over. Stephas was perhaps a bit above average height with short dark hair and wearing what could be best described as "business casual". The shop owner inwardly smiled, Stephas looked looked like the type that made purchases without ever thinking to haggle over price.  
  
The owner levered himself up from his chair to greet him. "Good day, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
The younger man looked around the shop. "I'm looking for a wall clock to put in the kitchen. Something a bit more stylish than the plastic thing hanging there now."  
  
"Of course, sir," the shopkeeper said. "You'll find that we have an excellent selection of antique clocks from all over Terra II."  
  
"All over Terra II?" Stephas said raising his eyebrow.  
  
"I meant the human inhabited part of the planet of course," the shop owner said with a small chuckle.  
  
"If you don't mind I'll just have a look around and see if there's anything I like," Stephas said. It was clear that he neither needed nor desired any help.  
  
"Of course, sir," the shopkeeper said and sat back down. He watched the young man wander around the shop, looking over clocks of various origins and antiquity. Stephas stopped to admire a large cuckoo clock. "You have good taste, sir. That was handcrafted by a master clockmaker in Gartlant during the reign of Faust VII."  
  
Stephas moved to another clock that had a carved wood clockface. Prominent in the wooden sculpure was the unmistakable Castle Japoness. "Ah, yes. That was made by no less than the celebrated wood sculpter, Shiro Yoshida during the reign of Ieyasu XII."  
  
Stephas grunted and moved on to yet another clock.  
  
The shopkeeper watched as Stephas wandered the shop before turning back to his book. Several pages later he looked up to see Stephas making his way back carrying the cuckoo clock as well as the clock from Japoness.   
  
Stephas managed to navigate around a large display of wind chimes only to bump into the store's only non-human occupant. He flushed with embarrassment as he desperately juggled the clocks before getting the situation under control. Then he took a good look at who he bumped into and blushed even more.  
  
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said. "I guess I wasn't looking where I was going."  
  
"Oh no, sir," the girl said. "I should be the one apologizing. I was careless."  
  
Stephas opened his mouth to protest when he took in the sight of the girl he bumped into and made a realization. "Oh my...I don't believe it, you're-"  
  
The clocks slipped from his nerveless fingers and plummeted to the floor. Only to be saved at the last second by the girl. He turned to the shop owner. "How...when...*what* is she doing here!?"  
  
The shopkeeper glanced over at the girl and laughed. "She's a just a replica. You didn't seriously believe that she's the real Cherry did you?"  
  
"But she looks just like the pictures in the history books!" Stephas said, astounded.  
  
"A very convincing fake," the owner conceded. "But still a fake."  
  
Stephas looked at the marionette.The pink outfit that seemed just a bit too flashy to be an actual kimono. Call it kimono-esque. The big red Christmas hair ornaments. The weird bulbous shoes that were clearly Japonessan. The purple hair that was tied on both sides and hung down to her waist. And those big blue eyes, the kind of eyes a man might find himself staring into for hours. Or possibly drowning in.  
  
This marionette was one incredibly accurate replica of Cherry.  
  
Stephas continued to stare at the marionette. "You seem to be quite taken with her," the shopkeeper observed. "For the right price she can be yours. She does help around the shop some but she's hardly indispensable."  
  
"Actually, as a young boy I had more of a crush on Bloodberry," Stephas admitted.  
  
Both men missed the brief scowl on the purple haired marionette.  
  
The shopkeeper laughed in agreement. "Now there's a marionette that could have come from New Texas. Brash as you please and more noticeable... assets."  
  
The marionette muttered something that might have been, "Perverts."  
  
Stephas turned to her. "I'm sorry, did you say something? I'm afraid I wasn't paying attention."  
  
The marionette held out the clocks to him. "I believe these are yours, sir."  
  
Stephas looked at the clocks. "I can't decide which one I like better, what do you think?"  
  
"I'm not equipped to make that decision, sir," the blue-eyed marionette replied.  
  
"Neither am I," Stephas said with a chuckle. "I'll just take them both."  
  
"And the marionette?" the shopkeeper asked.  
  
"Well, I don't know," Stephas said. "I wasn't really looking to make such a big-ticket purchase."  
  
"I can make a very reasonable offer," the shopkeeper said. "You won't regret it."  
  
Stephas turned to the man. "You seem pretty eager to be rid of her. Why?"  
  
"It's my wife," the shopkeeper admitted. "She's been getting paranoid. She accuses me of sleeping with the marionette. Can you imagine that?" The man laughed bitterly at the insanity of the accusations. "Anyways, I figured it would be a lot easier on me if I sold her."  
  
"So, what is a reasonable offer?" asked Stephas.  
  
***  
  
Stephas found that he couldn't stop glancing over at the marionette sitting in the passenger seat of his car as he drove home. He allowed himself a small smile. Heaven knew that his house could do with a bit of the feminine touch.  
  
Ok, so she wasn't really a woman. Just a machine in the shape of a woman. Still, it couldn't hurt. And it would be nice to have someone else around to keep him company even if she was an emotionless machine.  
  
"Is there something wrong, sir?" the Cherry replica asked. "You keep glancing over, perhaps something is amiss?"  
  
Stephas' face burned. "Not at all. Just thinking of how very much you look like the original Saber Marionette from Japoness."  
  
"Oh, you've met the original Cherry then?" the marionette said.  
  
"Of course not," Stephas replied. "I meant how she looked in the old video footage and the photos in the history books."  
  
The marionette looked out the window to hide the small smile that played at her lips. "Of course, sir."  
  
"And please stop calling me "sir"," Stephas said. "Makes me feel old. My name is Stephas."  
  
"The order is noted," the marionette said. "Anything else, Stephas-san?"  
  
"Stephas-san?" Stephas said.  
  
"I was made in Japoness. The use of the suffix "san" shows respect, much like the use of "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Miss" in New Texas," the marionette informed him. "I can call you "Mr. Stephas" if you prefer."  
  
"Actually it would be more properly "Mr. Marzette"," Stephas said with a chuckle.  
  
"Alright then, Mr. Marzette," the marionette said.  
  
"Ack! No! "Stephas-san" will be fine," Stephas told her. "Speaking of names, what's yours? I can't just go around saying "hey you" all the time."  
  
"They always just called me Cherry," the marionette answered.  
  
"Not very creative, huh?" Stephas answered. "Trouble is, neither am I. Ok, Miss Cherry it is then."  
  
"Miss Cherry?" Cherry said.  
  
"If I have to be Stephas-san then you can be Miss Cherry," Stephas said.  
  
Cherry looked out the window. "We're leaving the city, you don't live in San Plazo?"  
  
"Nope," answered Stephas. "I live in Mount Verdant. I'm told the name was chosen as a joke."  
  
"A joke?" Cherry said.  
  
"Yeah, I don't get it either," Stephas said. "Must of not been a very funny one. Anyways, the one thing that's no joke there is the weather in the winter. It's not very New Texas-like at all. What with the blizzards and abominable snowmen."  
  
"Abominable snowmen?" Cherry said. "I have been programmed with knowledge about all the different species of wildlife to be found on Terra II and nowhere is any mention of abominable snowmen."  
  
"That's cause they don't really exist," Stephas told her. "It was just a joke about the cold weather we get in the winter. Not a very good joke either I guess."  
  
"I'm not programmed for humor," Cherry told him. "So it's possible that your joke is good after all."  
  
"Not programmed for humor, huh?" Stephas said with a sigh. "It's unlikely. Nobody ever thinks my jokes are funny."  
  
"Laughter is the natural human response to humor is it not?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Um, yeah sure," Stephas answered.  
  
"Well then, if you wish it I can make a note to laugh whenever you make a joke," Cherry said. "Of course, you'll have to let me know when you're making a joke so I can give the appropriate response."  
  
Stephas chuckled at that. "Are you sure that you're not programmed with a sense of humor? That was quite a bit more humorous than anything I've ever said."  
  
"But there was no humorous intent in my statement," Cherry said. "The offer was quite serious so I don't see how any humor can be derived from it."  
  
"I know and that's what makes it so funny," Stephas told her.  
  
"I'm afraid that I don't understand, Stephas-san," Cherry said.  
  
Stephas reached over and gently put his hand over one of hers for a brief instant. "That's quite alright, Miss Cherry. Neither do I really."  
  
***  
  
Cherry turned to Stephas once they had passed the sign welcoming them to Mount Verdant. "Stephas-san, this is a small town, is it not?"  
  
"Yes it is, Miss Cherry," Stephas answered. "Not quite ten thousand people. Much smaller than San Plazo and nowhere near the size of Japoness City. Why do you ask?"  
  
"I've always been in large cities," Cherry said. "This will be a new experience for me."  
  
"And you're worried about being somewhere that you're unaccustomed to," Stephas said with a nod.  
  
"I'm not capable of worry," Cherry said. "However, in order to serve you better I do need to anticipate the requirements of a new environment."  
  
"There is no need to worry," Stephas said. "The people here are very friendly if a bit nosy. One thing though, you'll have to interact with people more than when you lived in San Plazo. I know it sounds crazy but it's true. To be quite blunt my neighbors aren't the type that mind their own business."  
  
"I'm designed to handle all types of social interactions," Cherry replied.  
  
"Glad to hear it," Stephas said. "That might be put to the limits when my neighbors discover that I have a marionette in the house."  
  
Stephas turned onto a side street and drove nearly to the end of the street before pulling into a driveway. Several houses down the street ended in a cul-de-sac.  
  
Cherry looked at the house as she exited the car. A large brick villa in the early New Texas colonial style with four towers at the corners of the house that jutted a couple of stories above the rest of the building.  
  
"It's certainly a large house," Cherry said to Stephas.  
  
"Not as quite as large as it seems from this angle," Stephas replied. "There's an enclosed open-air courtyard. Even so, you're right, it's a big house."  
  
Cherry elegantly raised a single eyebrow. "An open courtyard? This house couldn't have been cheap. Had my previous owner known just how wealthy you are I doubt he would have sold me quite so cheaply as he had."  
  
"Wealthy?" Stephas said with a laugh. "Hardly. This place was quite run down when I bought it. I was able to buy it quite cheaply."  
  
Cherry merely looked over at his car. "A rather expensive model," she noted.  
  
Stephas sighed. "Yes, but the car is over ten years old. I hardly went and plunked down cash for a brand new one. I will admit that I'm not exactly starving. In fact, I do alright for myself but I'm not rich. Anyways, let's head inside, it's nearly time for dinner."  
  
Cherry headed for the large entrance facing the street when Stephas touched her arm and pointed to the back of the house. "I'm afraid that part of the house hasn't been finished yet. We have to use the rear entrance that leads directly to the kitchen."  
  
Cherry followed Stephas as he walked to the rear of the house. "How much of the house is finished?" she asked.  
  
"About a third," Stephas answered. "It takes time to work on the house and I don't always have the time to spare."  
  
As they approached the door to the kitchen a dog began to bark. Stephas looked over at Cherry. "Nothing to worry about. She's very friendly, if a bit loud. Too friendly really."  
  
"I am quite capable of defending myself and those around me from any animals that might pose a threat," Cherry told him. "I'm certainly not worried."  
  
"I feel a lot better knowing that," Stephas said with a grin. "We get wild animal attacks all the time here. Now I can rest easy."  
  
Cherry remained silent as he unlocked the door and opened it. A moment later her eyes went wide as he shoved her aside when a huge gray dog burst out of the kitchen and past them into the yard.  
  
"Does she have a name?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Her name's Ceres. As you can see she's a bit rambunctious," Stephas said apologetically. That's when he noticed that his arm was pressed up against the marionette's chest. He jerked his arm away as if her breasts were hot coals. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to...."  
  
Cherry remained impassive as he trailed off. "Didn't mean to what? There is no need for you to apologize. I'm your property now and you can feel my breasts any time you wish to. Certainly it isn't the first time a man has expressed the desire to feel my breasts."  
  
A bright red blush bloomed on his face and he quickly turned to walk into the kitchen. "It was an accident," he mumbled as he flicked the light on.  
  
Cherry smirked at his back. "You find my breasts unsatisfactory then? Perhaps you will want to replace me with a more well endowed model."  
  
If possible Stephas blushed an ever deeper shade of red. "You're perfectly satisfactory, I have no intention of replacing- Hey! You did that on purpose!"  
  
"Did what?" Cherry asked, smoothing her facial features to erase the smirk before he turned to look at her.  
  
"You purposely twisted my words to make me seem like a pervert," Stephas said. "At no time did I express any dissatisfaction with any aspect with your body. Not that I was paying any attention to your body really."  
  
"I'm incapable of twisting anyone's words," Cherry said. "You mentioned a preference for large breasted red-heads with no manners."  
  
"I don't recall making any such statement," Stephas said. "For an emotionless machine you seem to have a fixation on breast size."  
  
"You certainly did express such a preference," Cherry said. "I believe your exact words were "as a young boy I had more of a crush on Bloodberry". Since I don't have the equipment you seem to desire-"  
  
"Ok, you can stop now," Stephas said, cutting her off. "You made your point. I'm not sure exactly what you are but a completely emotionless marionette you are not. You're to far too clever and far too aware to be just another mass produced run of the mill marionette."  
  
"I never made the claim of being the extremely limited capacity marionette which you are no doubt familiar with," Cherry said. "I'm designed to emulate a wide variety of human functions. That includes human conversation as well as a host of other human activities."  
  
"Eating?" Stephas asked.  
  
"Yes, I am capable of eating just like humans," Cherry answered. "As I said, I'm capable of a wide range of human activities. Including sexual activities."  
  
"Um, well that's nice," Stephas said uncomfortably. "I don't know if you're hungry or not, I don't know if you're even capable of feeling hungry, but either way I'm going to throw something together for dinner."  
  
"I'm quite capable of cooking," Cherry said. "There's no reason for you to do it yourself."  
  
"You can starting tomorrow," Stephas replied. "Tonight I just want something quick and easy. I suddenly feel rather tired and I'd like to get to bed fairly soon."  
  
"You are a capable cook then?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Oh yeah," Stephas said with a laugh. "If comes in a box or is something that can be microwaved then I can cook it easily."  
  
"I see," Cherry replied.  
  
***  
  
Stephas opened the door to the small bedroom. "It's not much I'm afraid but it's the only spare bedroom I have right now."  
  
Ceres squeezed past the two to crowd into the small room where she immediately climbed onto the bed.  
  
"Out!" Stephas said sternly to the dog as he pointed at the door. "This room is small enough as it is. Cherry isn't going to want to share it with a big furball like you."  
  
"This is to be my own room?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry it's so small," Stephas apologized again. "If you wish I suppose you could take my room and I could use this as my bedroom. I'll have to move all my stuff in here though."  
  
"Oh no, Stephas-san, this will be quite adequate," Cherry said. "I've always just sat in a corner during my periods of inactivity. My previous owner didn't care about simulated human behaviour."  
  
"Well, I do," Stephas said. "It'll make things more pleasant around here. Anyways, I'm going to bed now. Have a good night." He turned to look at his dog. "Come along, Ceres. I doubt Cherry wants to share her bed with you." He shut the bedroom door as he left the room with the dog.  
  
Cherry was still looking around the small room when Stephas knocked on the door. He opened the door just wide enough to thrust a hand into the room. "I thought maybe you needed some bed clothes. All I have are my own pajamas but you can borrow these until we can buy you something better. I figured you wouldn't want to get your kimono all wrinkled wearing it to bed."  
  
"It's no problem," Cherry replied. "I would have gone to bed naked."  
  
"Um, yeah, well here you are just in case you decide to wear them," Stephas said as he continued to hold out the pajamas. Cherry smiled to herself as she took the bed clothes from him.  
  
***  
  
Cherry slipped into bed and pulled the blanket up over herself. She quietly sighed as she stared at the ceiling in the darkness.   
  
"I really shouldn't have teased him like that," she thought to herself. "He does seem like a very nice man. But I suppose that's what made it so fun, he's such an easy target."  
  
Indeed, it had been a very long time since anyone had treated her more than if she were a mere machine. Not that she had cared in a very long time. She hadn't cared about much of anything at all in the last century. Not since the death of Otaru.  
  
For a moment she wondered if perhaps Stephas was going to be her way of replacing Otaru. She instantly rejected the idea. No one could ever replace Otaru. She knew that as surely as she knew her own name.  
  
What was special about Stephas was that he was the first person in a very long time to treat her as an equal. He treated as if she were human even though he knew she was a marionette. In her experience that was pretty rare.  
  
"I probably should tell him the truth," she thought. "And I will, just not yet."  
  
She wiggled her toes and adjusted the pillow for maximum comfort as she sought the best position to fall asleep in. It had been so long since she had been able to do the simple human things like sleeping in a bed that it seemed like another life. In fact, it had been another life.  
  
She allowed herself a smile as she realized that against all expectations she suddenly found herself in something of a family setting again. It made for an odd family to be sure but it was a sort of family none the less.  
  
"Odd or not it will do just fine," she thought as she drifted off to sleep. 


	2. Meeting the Neighbors

I forgot the disclaimer in chapter one so here it is. Saber Marionette J is the creation of Satoru Akahori, Hiroshi Negishi and Tsukasa Kotobuki. It's licensed by Bandai Entertaiment in the USA. This fanfic is written without their knowledge or permission.  
  
Love Cherry  
  
Chapter Two: Meeting the Neighbors  
  
Stephas woke to the wonderful feeling of being in a warm comfortable bed without having to be anywhere particular anytime soon. Even better was the wonderful smell that wafted up from the kitchen. Suddenly he sat bolt upright in the bed.  
  
A pleasant smell coming from the kitchen could only mean that someone was cooking. Someone named Cherry. He leapt out of bed and onto a shaggy fur rug that let out a yelp of protest.  
  
"Sorry about that, Ceres," Stephas said as he quickly pulled on a shirt, pants and socks. The dog followed him as he stumbled out of his room and down the stairs.  
  
The sight of the purple haired marionette busy at the stove greeted him as he walked into the kitchen. She quietly hummed a happy little tune as she bustled about the kitchen in her pink kimono. Stephas smiled at the sight of the lovely looking marionette cooking, her presence really made the place feel more like a home. Despite the fact that she had been in the house for less than twenty four hours it already felt like she truly belonged.  
  
"That's just your hormones talking," the skeptical part of Stephas' mind said. "One look at a pretty girl and all logic goes right out the window. Heck, she's not even really a girl at all, just a marionette, a machine." Stephas growled and gave the skeptical part of his mind a firm boot in the ass.  
  
"Good morning, Miss Cherry," Stephas greeted her. Machine or not she still was a female and deserved respect. Especially after she got up early to cook breakfast while he was still sleeping. "Breakfast smells delicious."  
  
Cherry turned to Stephas and favored him with a smile. "That's very kind of you to say. I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of using your kitchen."  
  
"Mind? Not at all," Stephas said. "Usually I just eat cold cereal for breakfast. This will be a nice change."  
  
"You'll never have to eat cereal again as long as I am here, Stephas-san," Cherry said. "If you'll forgive me for saying so this kitchen is in serious need of restocking. Everything here is in a can or a box which is fine for a bachelor on his own but not...."  
  
"But not for an accomplished chef such as yourself," Stephas finished for her as he rooted through the cupboards to retrieve a can of dog food. "Ceres gets pretty grumpy if she doesn't get her own breakfast. Of course it's not exactly home cooking."  
  
"I don't wish to boast but I am programmed to be an expert cook," Cherry said.  
  
"Well, I was thinking that we would need to do some shopping for you anyways, so we'll just do some grocery shopping too," Stephas said.  
  
"Shopping for me? What for?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Clothes of course," Stephas answered. "While there is nothing wrong with your kimono you only have the one. Not to mention that it would be a good idea for you to have some clothes that will fit in with the locals better. Not too many people here go around wearing kimonos."  
  
"Not mention bedclothes," Cherry said. "Unless you wish me to continue to wear yours."  
  
"Um, no," Stephas said. "I think it would be a good idea for you to pick out a complete wardrobe. I'm afraid I won't be much help to you there."  
  
"Won't that be rather expensive?" Cherry asked.  
  
"I'm more afraid of what will happen when my neighbors find out that I have a marionette living with me," Stephas said.  
  
"What for? Will you get into some sort of trouble?" Cherry said.  
  
"Not trouble so much as a bunch of embarrassing questions," Stephas said. "I told you that my neighbors are rather nosy."  
  
"Surely there must be other marionettes in the town," Cherry said. "Why would I draw so much attention?"  
  
"Not that many actually," Stephas said. "And as for the unwanted attention let's just say that Mount Verdant is a fertile rumor mill. And we certainly will be fair game. When people find out that the town's secretive and very confirmed bachelor has just brought a pretty marionette home they're going to come to the obvious conclusions quite quickly. And they're not going to be quiet about it either."  
  
"What conclusions are those?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing very important," Stephas said. "Anyways, I'm feeling quite hungry." He pulled a plate from the cupboard and loaded it up. "This all looks very good, Miss Cherry. You even managed to do the eggs over-easy without breaking them. Quite a trick."  
  
"I should have asked you how you like your eggs but I didn't want to wake you," Cherry said. "Breakfast in Japoness is quite different from the traditional New Texas breakfast. But I pride myself in being able to cook the cuisine of all cultures on Terra II."  
  
"At any rate we'll head out after breakfast," Stephas said. "I'll just need to take a quick shower before we leave."  
  
"I probably should clean up myself," Cherry said.  
  
"Um, well, ok," Stephas said. Why a marionette would need to take a shower was something he definitely didn't understand but he wasn't about to argue.  
  
***  
  
Stephas knocked on the bathroom door. "Um, Miss Cherry? Are you done yet? You've been in there for a rather long time. Is everything alright?"  
  
"Everything's fine," Cherry said through the door. "I'll be out in just a little bit."  
  
"Well, ok, as long as you're alright," Stephas said. "Guess I'll just keep myself amused by hanging up the clocks I bought yesterday and get rid of that ugly plasic thing currently hanging in the kitchen."  
  
Humming to himself Stephas found the clocks and set about hanging them in their new home.The only problem was that he had only needed one for the kitchen. Having two was one too many. So which one would he hang in the kitchen? And for that matter where would the spare go?  
  
He considered the clock from Gartlant and nodded to himself. Climbing on top of a kitchen chair he took down the old clock and replaced it with the cuckoo clock. He stepped back down to the floor and critically surveyed the clock as well as the entire kitchen. Yes, it was perfect.  
  
Now where to put the other clock?  
  
***  
  
Stephas was nursing a cup of coffee and still admiring the new clock when Cherry stepped into the kitchen. "Sorry, for taking so long," she said. "I just wanted to make sure that everything was perfect before we left. I'm programmed for extreme neatness, it just wouldn't do for me to be unkempt."  
  
Stephas gave her a cursory glance. "Naw, you're perfect. So what do you think?"  
  
Cherry glanced up at the clock and gave it a brief scowl. "What, the clock? It's fine I suppose.What did you do with the one with the sculpture of Castle Japoness?"  
  
"Hmmm? Oh, I put that in the den," Stephas said.  
  
"Den?" Cherry replied.  
  
"Yeah, well I don't know what else to call it," Stephas told her. "It's just a small room that I piled several bookcases and a sad looking recliner into. Doesn't make for much a den. Plus, it's messy like nobody's business."  
  
***  
  
For being such a small town Mount Verdant definitely seemed to bustle with activity Cherry noted as she looked around the small downtown district. She mentioned as much to Stephas.  
  
"Well, it's the weekend and the weather's nice," he told her. "Which means that everyone is out doing their shopping just like we are." He spotted a nearby bistro where people were taking advantage of the warm weather to eat at the parasol equipped tables on the bistro's small patio. "What do you say to me buying us lunch after our shopping expedition?"  
  
"You don't need to do that," Cherry said quickly. "I will be more than happy to prepare lunch for us. It's more than enough for you to provide me with a wardrobe, Stephas-san. Much more than enough."  
  
"Nonsense, Miss Cherry," Stephas replied. "Since you're a part of my household now it's my obligation to see that you have the things you need. And you definitely need clothes if you want to interact with the local people. You can't wear that kimono day in and day out and you certainly can't go do any shopping without any clothes so...."  
  
"Stephas! Stephas, is that you?" Stephas and Cherry turned around to see a young woman with a girl that looked to be no more than four or five years old waving at them. "I thought that was you but I wasn't sure from behind," the woman said to Stephas. She gave Cherry a long look, taking in her exotic apparel. "So, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend or not, Stephas?"  
  
Stephas just stared at her for a moment. "My...my girlfriend?" He glanced over at Cherry. "Oh, um, I think you have the wrong idea. She's not my girlfriend, she's just a...um, friend."  
  
"Do tell," the woman said as she carefully studied Cherry.  
  
Cherry turned to Stephas. "It might be cliche but honesty really is the best policy, Stephas-san."  
  
Stephas sighed. "Alright then, Lori, I would like you to meet Cherry, the marionette I bought in San Plazo," he mumbled. "Cherry, this is Lori, a friend that I've known since I started school."  
  
Cherry studied Lori in turn. While the New Texas girl was taller than Cherry's diminutive stature she was in turn noticeably shorter than Stephas. She had striking blue eyes that offset a sprinkling of freckles and wavy brown hair. There was somehing about her that Cherry couldn't put her finger on, something she felt she should recognize.  
  
Stephas looked down at the little girl who was now peeking out at him and Cherry from behind Lori's legs. "Hello, Emily. You don't remember me do you?"  
  
Lori looked down as her daughter continued to hide behind her legs. "You remember Stephas don't you?" Emily looked up at her mother with large doubtful eyes. "He has the big scary looking dog, remember?" Emily shrank even further behind Lori showing that she remembered the dog at least.  
  
"That worked out well," Stephas said drily.  
  
"Well, Ceres does make quite an impression," Cherry observed.  
  
Lori gave the marionette a look before turning to Stephas. "A marionette named Cherry no less, not to mention that she certainly looks familiar." A brief scowl crossed Lori's face. "Mind telling me what's going on here, Stephas?"  
  
"Er, um, I just happened to find her in San Plazo," Stephas said quickly. "She just helps around the house, you know, cooking and stuff. You know that I'm not exactly the world's greatest cook. There's nothing, um...," Stephas quickly glanced at Emily, "nothing p-e-r-v-e-r-t-e-d going on. Honest."  
  
Lori rolled her eyes. "As if I cared about that. What I'd like to know is how did you come across a fully functional marionette that you could actually afford?"  
  
"Huh?" For a moment Stephas could only stare at Lori. "Well, I got a real good deal on her. Her previous owner was anxious to sell her. I could have never afforded to pay fair market value."  
  
"That's right," Cherry chimed in. "My previous owner had tried to sell me several times before he met Stephas-san but no one was interested in the steep price or the upkeep I require. By the time Stephas-san appeared my asking price had dropped considerably."  
  
"Sounds like you got lucky then," Lori told Stephas. She looked Cherry in the eyes and said, "I hope you take good care on Mr. Bachelor here, heaven knows somebody needs to."  
  
"But that's not true, I'm fully-"  
  
"Of course, ma'am," Cherry said. "I'm fully programmed to be handle all domestic chores."  
  
"Glad to hear it," Lori said, the corners of her mouth curving up into a smile. It was smile that transformed her entire face from being merely pretty to something much more. As Lori's eyes seemed to reflect her restrained amusement Cherry was struck with a sudden thought.  
  
She suddenly realized what it was that she had been trying to figure out about Lori. There in the young woman's smile was a reflection of Lorelei. She had seen Lorelei smile and laugh so many times during the years that they had known each other that she had come to realize that it was her natural state. Not that Lorelei never had suffered heartbreaks or felt sadness but no amount of unhappy circumstances changed her optimistic outlook on life. It was a trait that she had shared with Lime along with her innocence.  
  
And now she was faced with those same qualities in a woman who was Lorelei's descendant. A woman who inherited Lorelei's legacy as indeed every woman on Terra II had. As Cherry looked at Lori it was no longer the New Texas girl that looked back but a long dead woman peering out from the shroud of an era long over with. In that moment it was if she and Lorelei's ghost had looked each other in the eye and some unspoken message had passed between them. Then the moment was over and Lori was just Lori once again.  
  
"Well, looks like you're in good hands," Lori said to Stephas. She took Cherry by the hand for a moment. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime and we can have a little chat. You know, girl stuff. I'll even tell you about Stephas' more embarrassing moments in school."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Stephas said.  
  
"As long as it's alright with Stephas-san...."  
  
"Like I could stop her," Stephas said with a snort.  
  
"Great, in that case we'll make a girl's day out of it sometime," Lori said. "We'll spend the day shopping and maybe catch a movie or something."  
  
"But we're spending the day shopping today," Stephas pointed out. "Why would she want to do it again?"  
  
"Because shopping with a guy is absolutely no fun," Lori answered.  
  
***  
  
"So what do you think, Stephas-san?" Cherry asked as she turned around to give him a full view of her outfit. She was wearing a sweater that sported the flag of New Texas and a rather tight pair of jeans that took advantage of her slender yet shapely legs.  
  
"Oh, very nice," Stephas said distractedly.  
  
Turning to face him once more Cherry saw that he wasn't even looking at her. He was staring at a young woman who was wearing a somewhat short skirt and was currently bent over as she rifled through a display of woman's unmentionables. It was a pose guaranteed to show off a lot of leg as well as a good bit of backside.  
  
"Um, Stephas-san, you're not even looking at me," Cherry pointed out. "So there's no way you can tell what my outfit looks like."  
  
Stephas glanced over at Cherry. "Yeah, it's great," he said before turning back to look at the skirt wearing girl.  
  
Cherry glared at his back. "Fine, so that's how it is then. I'll just fight fire with fire. You asked for it, Stephas-san," she thought. "I'm glad you approve. In that case I'll try on some more outfits if that's ok."  
  
"Oh sure," Stephas replied. "You need more that just one change of clothes after all."  
  
"Good, in that case I'll try to find something a bit more interesting than these jeans," Cherry said. "I'll be back in a bit."  
  
"Mmm hmmm," Stephas replied, his eyes never leaving the other girl.  
  
Cherry glared at him for a moment before turning away. "Pervert," she softly muttered under her breath.  
  
It was quite some time later when Cherry reappeared. Stephas was twiddling his thumbs, the girl he had been watching having been long gone.   
  
"So what do you think?" Cherry asked. She was wearing a white blouse along with matching green and black tartan skirt and jacket. On her feet were a pair of brown leather loafers along with white knee high socks.  
  
Stephas looked over the ensemble and then down at comfortable looking brown leather shoes she was wearing. "I'm surprised you didn't go for a pair of black Mary Janes to go with the whole school girl motif," he said. "And that skirt is rather...short don't you think?"  
  
"Short? Do you really think so?" Cherry asked as she made a quick twirl. "So you don't like what you see?"  
  
"Well. I didn't say that exactly..." Stephas trailed off as Cherry turned away from him while slowly and deliberately bending over.  
  
"Oh! Somebody must have dropped their money," Cherry said as she pretended to pick up several imaginary coins.  
  
Stephas' brain all but shut down as he found out first hand that Cherry's panties were every bit as white as the socks she was wearing. "Um...er...uh...."  
  
"Something wrong, Stephas-san?" Cherry asked, craning her neck to look back at him. She allowed herself a small self satisfied smirk when she saw how flushed his face was.  
  
It took several moments before Stephas trusted himself to speak. "Yes, the skirt is too short. Way too short. And please stand up now, I don't want you mooning every guy who happens to be passing by."  
  
"But you didn't mind looking at that girl in the short dress over there," Cherry pointed to where the girl in question had been standing.  
  
"Oh crap, I've been busted," Stephas realized silently. He gave Cherry a sickly smile and gave it his best shot. "But that's different, Miss Cherry. I don't know her and besides it was accidental." He inwardly winced at just how pathetic that sounded.  
  
"I see," Cherry said. "I thought that ten minutes would have been an indication that it was intentional but apparently I was in error."  
  
"Ok, that sounded pretty weak," Stephas admitted. He bowed his head and sighed. "I'm sorry that I was ogling that girl and I promise not to do it again."  
  
"So, does this mean I should keep this outfit?" Cherry asked.  
  
"I would prefer something a bit more modest but okay," Stephas replied. "Just try not shock and outrage the citizens *too* much. If you don't mind."  
  
"I would never do that, Stephas-san," Cherry said. "I'm programmed to be a proper and demure marionette after all."  
  
Stephas wanted to point out that her outfit wasn't very demure and that bending over and all but exposing herself was about as far from the definition of the word as a person could get. He wanted to say all that but something told him that he'd regret it so he wisely decided to keep his silence. The marionette was too clever by half and would no doubt somehow turn his own comments against him.  
  
He allowed himself a sigh as he wondered if that was what was going to be in store for him in his future. It seemed almost a certainty when he considered the fact that Cherry would be spending time with Lori who herself was extremely adept verbally confounding Stephas. He knew that Lori meant well but he also knew that she was very likely to teach Cherry some bad habits.   
  
"Not that Cherry doesn't already have some bad habits," Stephas thought as he considered her current attire while trying not too turn it into yet another session of ogling her. "Bad habits that will probably result in me having a heart attack." He realized just how interesting his life was about to become.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Cherry asked after hearing Stephas sigh.  
  
"No, nothing," Stephas answered. "Why don't you go find some more clothes to fill out your wardrobe. Don't forget socks and ,um, other underthings."  
  
"Underthings?" Cherry said, raising an eyebrow. "Such as bras and panties?"  
  
"Yes, such as them," Stephas replied.  
  
***  
  
Cherry fidgeted as the not inconsiderable collection of clothes was rung up by the cashier. Having the clerk paw through her future unmentionables was bad enough but even more embarrassing were the bras. They were all but advertisements of just how underdeveloped her chest was. While she was never overly concerned about such things there were times that she wished that she was just a bit bigger. And standing in front of the cashier was one of those times. Fortunately, Stephas seemed determined not see any of Cherry's more delicate garments. He was staring at the store clock, seemingly extremely interested in knowing exactly what time it was.  
  
The cashier finished ringing up Cherry's purchases and looked at Stephas expectantly. Unfortunately, he was still was staring at the clock. Cherry sighed and touched his arm. "Stephas-san, she's done ringing us up," she said, pointing to the cashier.  
  
"Ah, right, sorry for zoning out on you," Stephas said. He pulled a card out of his wallet and handed it to the clerk.   
  
After running his card through the register she handed it back to him. "Have a good day, sir."  
  
Stephas flashed her a smile. "Sir? Geez, now I feel old." He picked the bags filled with Cherry's new wardrobe and headed towards the exit with Cherry in tow. "So, what do you think of small town life so far?"  
  
"You seem to enjoy it," Cherry answered as she liberated several bags from Stephas.  
  
"I wasn't asking if *I* enjoyed it," Stephas said. "I already know my own feelings, thanks."  
  
"Marionettes were made for only one purpose, to serve humans," Cherry replied. "Where I am is irrelevant as long as I'm able to serve my human owner. In this case that would be you."  
  
"Hey, about some lunch now?" Stephas said, changing the subject. "All that shopping made me hungry."  
  
***  
  
Stephas watched as Cherry delicately consumed the salad in front of her. Her eating habits were meticulous and he suspected that she would prove to be equally so in everything she did. After all she was made to be a convincing copy of the real Cherry, the most famous homemaker in the history of Terra II. Still, she had shown no emotion during the meal, no sign that she either enjoyed it or found it lacking. Also, she had made no response to his obvious close attention to her.  
  
"Miss Cherry, can I ask you a question?" he asked.  
  
"Of course, Stephas-san," Cherry replied. "I will endeavor to answer any questions you might have."  
  
"Ok, well no offense but what exactly is the purpose of having a marionette eat?" Stephas said. "Can you actually taste food?"  
  
"Absolutely," Cherry said. "I have to be able to taste my own cooking in order to tell if it's good or not. It's not possible to be world class chef without a sense of taste. Also, in my case eating serves the same purpose as it does in a human, more or less."  
  
"Really? But I thought that marionettes had to recharge themselves from a power source. Such as an electrical outlet."  
  
"That would be true for more primitive marionettes but not for myself. I am not merely a robot with a human face, Stephas-san. Rather, I am closer to an android, an artificial lifeform."  
  
"So, then you're able to enjoy eating," Stephas said.  
  
"Yes, of course," Cherry said. "Almost as much as I enjoy preparing meals."  
  
"So, what do you think of what you're currently eating?" Stephas asked.  
  
Cherry gave the salad a thoughtful look. "It's not bad but I could have made it better."  
  
"Um, it's just a salad," Stephas pointed out. "How much better can you expect it to be?"  
  
"Well, for one thing the vegetables aren't as fresh as I'd prefer," Cherry said. "There is absolutely no substitute for freshness. Also, whoever made this salad obviously tossed it together without a single thought to it's appearence. How a meal tastes is the most important factor in determining success or failure but presentation is also an important factor. Ideally a meal should look attractive as well as be delicious."  
  
"That's a lot of thought for just a simple salad," Stephas said.  
  
"If you can't do well with something as simple as a salad how can you hope for success in larger more complex meals?" Cherry asked him.  
  
Stephas found that he didn't have a good answer to that so he found himself changing the subject yet again. "So, have you given any thought to what you would like to with yourself here?"  
  
"Do with myself? I assume I'll keep busy cooking and cleaning and doing other household chores," Cherry said.  
  
"Yeah, but don't you want to do more than just a bunch of boring chores around the house?" Stephas asked. "What about doing something for yourself?"  
  
"But everything I do is for myself as well as it is for you," Cherry replied. "When I cook, clean or do any of the many tasks required to keep a household running is gives me the satisfaction of a job well done. And that is why I do what I do."  
  
"I see, so it's your programming," Stephas said.  
  
Cherry mentally sighed, humans could be so blind sometimes. Programming was something that they did to machines and computers, they never seemed to realize that all living things had programming to one degree or another. Even humans had programming that they instinctively obeyed without even realizing it.  
  
Yet it was humans that she owed her very existence to. Human genius and engineering had given birth to her and her fellow Saber Marionettes. When she thought about her own existence she could only marvel, the improbability of it all seemed overwhelming yet here she was. Of course, such thoughts brought to mind two other marionettes who were very important to her.  
  
Lime. Bloodberry. Cherry sighed as she felt an ancient longing suddenly reassert itself after having been silent for so long. Trips down memory lane were always painful which was the reason why she rarely indulged them.  
  
"Miss Cherry?" a concerned Stephas said as he lightly touched her hand. "Are you alright?"  
  
Cherry looked up at Stephas. "Of course, I'm fine."  
  
"Oh, well you looked kind of sad for a moment there," he said.  
  
"Sad? Oh no, Stephas-san, it's just that, uh...." Cherry desperately tried to come up with some excuse or failing that, a way to divert the conversation. Fortunately for her help came in the form of Stephas' coworkers.  
  
"Hey, Stephas, imagine meeting you here," a tall slender sandy haired man said as he walked up to the table Stephas and Cherry were sitting at. He was accompanied by a woman of obvious Japoness descent. The man gave Cherry appraising lookover. "So, who's your new girlfriend?"  
  
Stephas sighed, he knew that it wouldn't take very long before everyone in town knew that he had a "new girlfriend". However, in this particular case he wasn't going to clear up the misconception. Having his coworkers gossiping about his "new girlfriend" was infinitely preferable than to have them talking about his new marionette. He knew it wouldn't take too long before the rumors had him having an affair with the marionette. From there his working conditions would make the short trip of descending into a living hell.  
  
However, if he allowed them to continue to think of Cherry as his girlfriend then the assumption of sex would be automatic and would cause only as minimum of speculation. He inwardly congratulated himself on his cleverness as he stood up from the table.  
  
"This is Cherry, a friend," Stephas said as he turned to the marionette. "Cherry, these are coworkers of mine, Davis Sheffler and Sakura...." Stephas trailed off and gave her an apologetic look as he realized he didn't remember her family name.  
  
"Watenabe," Sakura said.  
  
"Sorry," Stephas apologized. "I kept wanting to say "Wasabi" but I knew that couldn't be right."  
  
"Indeed," Sakura said,"Wasabi is a popular condiment in Japoness that's typically used on sushi and sashimi. It's rather famous for it's spicy hot flavour."  
  
"And if I recall correctly sakura is the word for cherry blossom," Davis said with a chuckle. "So Sakura Wasabi could be construed to mean hot spicy cherry blossom. I wonder if it's true." At this he gave the Japoness woman a very obvious leer.  
  
"You'll pay for that later," Sakura promised, sounding almost amused by Davis' antics.  
  
"Anyways, I'm the Network Specialist at the Facility and Ms. Wasabi here is actually on loan from Japoness for the time being," Davis told Cherry.  
  
"The Facility?" Cherry said with recognizable confusion.  
  
"Yeah, the Mount Verdant Plasma Diffusion Facility," Davis said. "You mean to tell me that Mr Goodbar here didn't even tell you where he works?"  
  
"No, the subject of Stephas-san's employment never came up," Cherry said.  
  
"It didn't, huh? Well, Stephas is no less than the Senior Engineer of the Power Management and Maintenance Department," Davis said. "Pretty spiffy huh? Yes sir, Mr Marzette is quite the catch."  
  
"Stuff a sock in it," Stephas grumbled. "That's just a fancy title for plant electrician. It's nothing special."  
  
"And modest too," Davis pointed out. Stephas rolled his eyes but remained silent, letting Davis have the last word.  
  
Sakura turned her attention to Cherry. "I'm guessing from your kimono and use of the honorific on Stephas' name that you're originally from Japoness."  
  
"Yes, that's right," Cherry said.  
  
"So, how long has it been since you lived in Japoness?" Sakura asked.  
  
Cherry's eyes widened in surprise. That was one question she really didn't want to answer. She realized that Stephas had decided to let them continue to think of her as Stephas' new girlfriend. It was a lie of omission which was still a lie but one that could be excused later if need be. However, to actively lie was a different story. "It's been over thirty years," she admitted.  
  
"But...but that's just not possible," Davis said. "No way are you that old."  
  
"It's quite possible," Stephas said. "Cherry is a marionette."  
  
"A marionette?" Davis said, slightly shocked. "Geez, you really are hard up ain't you?"  
  
"If you have nothing more worthwhile to say, Sheffler, than I'd appreciate if you would allow me to finish eating," Stephas said, his voice tight. He sat back down, pointedly ignored Davis and Sakura, making it plain that he had no intention of saying another word to either one.  
  
"Davis, I sometimes wonder how it is that you have any friends at all," Sakura said in disgust. She gave Stephas and Cherry one last glance and left. Davis shrugged and hurried after her.  
  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told her the truth," Cherry said. "I made things more difficult for you didn't I?"  
  
Stephas waved the apology off. "Nah, you did the right thing. It's better to face the music right up front than to try keep putting it off forever."  
  
***  
  
The shadows were getting long when the car finally pulled into the driveway. Stephas and Cherry loaded themselves up with bags to carry into the house. They were halfway to the house when a voice behind them called out.  
  
"Stephas, hold up for a second!" Stephas and Cherry turned around to see the couple that lived in the house next door making their way across Stephas' lawn. "See, I told you that I saw Stephas with a girl earlier today," the woman said to her partner.  
  
"Trying to sneak your girlfriend in the house without us noticing huh?" the man said. "Not that I blame you, she is a pretty little thing, isn't she?"  
  
Stephas sighed, he realized that he'd been doing that a lot since he woke up. "Cherry, I'd like you to meet Mr and Mrs Hightower, my next door neighbors."  
  
"Don't be so formal, you can call me Dan," Daniel Hightower said.  
  
"And I'm Jen," his wife said with a smile.  
  
"Daniel-san, Jennifer-san, it is a pleasure to meet you," Cherry said, giving them a shallow bow due the bags she was carrying.  
  
"And so polite, not like Stephas here who's been holding out on us," Daniel said. "Well, we don't want to hold you up from carrying those bags in. Just wanted to meet you was all."  
  
"Yes, we just had to meet the lucky girl who managed to land Stephas," Jennifer said. "The saying is that there are lots of fish in the sea and that's true enough but even so our Stephas is a rare one."  
  
From inside the house Ceres started barking. "Ah, the dog probably needs to heed the call of nature," Stephas said, grateful for a reason to derail the current conversation.  
  
"Ok, that's enough for one night," Daniel said with a chuckle. "Those bags look like they're getting heavier by the second."  
  
"Yes, Dear," Jennifer said. "You two have a good night."  
  
"Good night," Stephas and Cherry said as the other couple departed.  
  
"That was relatively painless," Stephas observed. "Somehow I thought they'd make a bigger deal about it."  
  
"They seem nice enough," Cherry said as Stephas opened the door to the kitchen. A grey blur raced past them and streaked across the yard.  
  
"Yeah, they're nice people, just a bit nosy," Stephas said as they carried the bags into the kitchen where Stephas seperated Cherry's clothes from the bags of groceries. "Why don't you go put your clothes away while I take care of the groceries."  
  
Cherry nodded her assent and left the kitchen loaded down with her clothes while Stephas worked on putting the groceries away.  
  
***  
  
Cherry suppressed a sigh as she stood in the doorway watching Stephas filling the cupboards with the contents of the earlier grocery shopping expedition. While Stephas was at least trying to be somewhat neat it was clear that his organizational skills in the kitchen were haphazard at best. The kitchen would need a major reorganizing later, sometime when Stephas wouldn't be around to interfer. "Would you like some help, Stephas-san?"  
  
Stephas turned around and looked at Cherry. She had changed out of her kimono into a light sundress over which she had an apron decorated with a print of common kitchen utencils. Rounding out the ensemble was a pair of house slippers that matched the color of her hair. Gone were the "Christmas Tree ornaments" in favor of a simple ponytail down her back. The overall effect was rather homey Stephas had to admit.  
  
"Nah, I'm almost done," he replied.  
  
"Ok, in that case I'll start on dinner," she said. "What would you like?"  
  
Stephas pondered the question. "Hmmm, well, pork chops sound good. And maybe some potatoes."  
  
"Mashed, baked, home fries?" Cherry asked.  
  
"Baked with lots of sour cream," Stephas said dreamily.  
  
"Why don't you watch some tv while I cook," Cherry suggested.  
  
"I don't mind helping out," Stephas said.  
  
"Not necessary," Cherry said quickly.  
  
"Fine, I get the message," Stephas said and left the kitchen.  
  
Cherry hummed a tune as she set about preparing the evening meal. Cooking was the one thing that she knew above all others and she certainly didn't need Stephas underfoot trying to help. Besides, too many cooks ruin the soup as she well knew from previous experiences with Lime and Bloodberry.  
  
***  
  
Stephas was brushing his teeth before going to bed when Cherry peeked into the doorway. "Ah, Stephas-san, I'm going to bed now."  
  
"Good night, Miss Cherry," Stephas said to her.  
  
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me today," Cherry said. "I know it must have been a trying day for you."  
  
"Not at all," Stephas replied. "I had fun, Mr Sheffler or no. And to have the day topped off with your wonderful stuffed pork chops made it even better."  
  
"Next time I think I'll do something that's a bit more of a challenge," Cherry said.  
  
"I'm a meat and potatoes sort of guy so I don't mind at all," Stephas told her. "By the way, cute pajamas."  
  
Cherry self-consciously smoothed out her bed clothes. "I'm glad you like them," she said, not meeting his gaze. She quickly retreated from the bathroom doorway back into her room.  
  
"Score one for the human," Stephas thought as he smirked into the mirror. 


End file.
